1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display and, more particularly, to a liquid crystal display, in which the driving signal applied to the two scanning lines adjacent to each other is controlled to allow one data line to send two video signals to both pixels, respectively, thereby reducing the number of the data lines by half in comparison with the conventional liquid crystal display.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A liquid crystal display generally consists of upper and lower plates and a liquid crystal being sealed between the two plates. The upper plate has a black matrix, a common electrode and R, G, and B color filter layers for displaying colors formed thereon. On the lower plate, data lines and gate lines are arranged, intersecting each other, to form pixel regions in matrix form. Each of the pixel regions includes one thin film transistor and one pixel electrode.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a general liquid crystal display. Referring to FIG. 1, thin film transistors each of which consists of a gate electrode extended from a scanning line (gate line), source and drain electrodes S and D extended from a data line are arranged in matrix form on a lower plate 1, having a predetermined distance. A pixel electrode 2a connected to the drain electrode D of each thin film transistor 2 is formed in each pixel region. An upper plate 3 has black matrix layers 4 formed thereon in mesh form, for blocking light transmitted to regions other than the pixel region 2a. R, G, and B color filters 5 for displaying colors are formed between the black matrix layers 4. A common electrode 6 is formed on the color filters 5 and black matrix layers 4.
FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the general conventional liquid crystal display. Referring to FIG. 2, the liquid crystal display includes a display panel part 21 consisting of the upper and lower plates and the liquid crystal sealed therebetween to display images, a gate driver part 22 consisting of gate drivers GD each of which applies a driving signal to the panel part 21 in row direction, and a source driver part 23 consisting of source drivers SD each of which supplied a driving signal to the panel part 21 in column direction.
There is explained below a conventional liquid crystal display with reference to the attached drawings. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the conventional liquid crystal display. Referring to FIG. 3, a plurality of scanning lines G1, G2, . . . , Gnxe2x88x921, Gn are arranged in row direction, having a predetermined distance, and a plurality of data lines D1, D2, . . . , Dnxe2x88x921, Dn are arranged, intersecting the scanning lines. A thin film transistor T1 is formed at the portion where each scanning line intersects each data line intersect. A pixel electrode C1c is connected to each thin film transistor T1. Accordingly, a driving voltage is sequentially applied to the scanning lines to turn on the thin film transistors, and signal voltages of corresponding data lines are charged into the pixel electrodes through the turned-on thin film transistors.
FIG. 4 shows the waveform of a driving signal applied to the scanning lines of the conventional liquid crystal display. Referring to FIG. 4, the driving signal is sequentially applied to the scanning lines, starting from the first one G1 to the nth one Gn during one frame, and the signal voltages of corresponding data lines are delivered to the pixel electrodes through the thin film transistors turned on by corresponding scanning lines, to thereby display an image.
In the conventional liquid crystal display, as described above, the driving voltage is sequentially applied to the scanning lines to turn on or off the thin film transistors each of which is connected to each data line, and signal voltages of corresponding data lines are transmitted to corresponding pixel regions through the turned on thin film transistors, to thereby display an image.
However, the aforementioned conventional liquid crystal display has the following problem. In case where the number of pixels increases in order to realize a large-sized liquid crystal display with a higher resolution, the number and the size of its drivers also increase to raise the cost. This brings about a new problem such as connection between the drivers and panel.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a liquid crystal display that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display, which is able to display images with the same resolution as that of the conventional liquid crystal display while its data lines are as many as half the number of the data lines of the conventional one, resulting in cost reduction.
To accomplish the object of the present invention, there is provided a liquid crystal display having the first and second plates and a liquid crystal being sealed therebetween, including: a plurality of scanning lines arranged on the first plate in one direction; a plurality of data lines arranged on the first plate, intersecting the scanning lines; the first and second pixel regions, located at both sides of each data line, respectively; a first switch for selectively transmitting a video signal loaded on a corresponding data line to the first pixel region; and a second switch for selectively transmitting the video signal loaded on the data line to the second pixel region.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.